Jinjiang resident Chen Yingchun is fascinated with collecting ancient beds. He has collected more than 100 beds, including one made during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).

A photo of the southern-Fujian style bed [Photo provided to ijjnews.com]

Chen lives on Luoshan Street, Jinjiang city. It is a unique house with several prominent beds filling the living room, plenty of southern-Fujian style furniture piled up in the corners, and some local tables, cabinets and utensils at the side.

Moreover, all of his rooms and spaces, including the garage and old houses, are used for storage.

Some of Chen’s collections [Photo provided to ijjnews.com]

“The oldest bed I collected was made in Emperor Guangxu's reign of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and it is still well-preserved,” said Chen with pride.

The beds made in the counties of Shishi, Shenhu, Chendai, Qingyang, Yongchun and Huian have better craftsmanship, thanks to the techniques of carpenters at that time, Chen added.

The Southern-Fujian beds feature delicate carvings in three sides, with images from legends, opera figures, and beautiful landscapes.

When asked why he was fascinated in bed collection, he said that his father had a profound effect on him.

“My father is a craftsman skilled with golden lacquer painting, and he liked to collect antiques everywhere. When I was a little boy, I followed with him every day, doing paintings and collecting antiques,” said Chen.

Chen is fascinated with bed collection. To get a beautiful bed he might wait for more than six months, sparing no efforts to persuade the owner to sell it.

In addition to beds, Chen also collected more than 300 basin stands, as well as cabinets and drawers.